Column: My Music Is Better Than Yours

By Nicole Pope

Nothing provokes music lovers more than having to defend their taste in music. Now that I have your attention, I need your help solving a conundrum.

Anyone who knows me knows that when I’m not blogging, listening to music, or getting drunk and beckoning the wonderland, I’m teaching the youth of tomorrow (today?). I was putting some finishing touches on my syllabus yesterday and came across the following quote from the awe-inspiring text The Curious Reader (please note sarcasm):

“‘You’re entitled to your opinion, but you can’t say yours is better than mine.’ But is that true? Is it really impossible to make judgments about the worth of someone’s opinions simply because they’re entitled to have one in the first place?’”

Good question, Curious Reader. Incidentally, as is your purpose for existence, you have roused my curiosity as a reader. And as this question is applicable to any number of topics, naturally I think about music. Specifically, is it true that no music is “better” than another, since people’s definition of “better” rests so solidly on opinion/personal preference?

I’ve become more and more interested in this question as I think about the music that once whet my, err, whistle, and what I think of that music now. My fellow bloggers and I have decided that our Wayback Whensday feature would be a nice place to discuss not only older music we still hold dear, but also music we once adored that has not stood the test of time (I’ve argued we should make this its own feature, Shame Saturday.) The truth is, there isn’t much music I once listened to that I still love. Yet does that necessarily mean the music I listen to now is better? I would resoundingly say yes, but perhaps I should examine the assumptions behind that statement.

Let me assert why I think the music I listen to now is more intelligent, a claim that is far easier to substantiate -- and I suppose is what I really mean by "better."

• A sound that is either "new" (as much as that is possible), or at least takes an old sound or combination of old sounds and makes them new or unique. This cuts away all of that radio-friendly garbage that I used to listen to. This also means listening to music that might be off putting at first, because it does not fit a mold I'm accustomed to. Incidentally, very little scares me off these days, which I could not say a few years ago.

• Lyrics that don't have to be about break-ups or getting drunk/laid or finding true love. In fact, the lyrics may not even make sense in terms of a traditional narrative. The best lyrics, in my opinion, resemble poetry (see: Neutral Milk Hotel). Repeat listens are required to extricate the depth of meaning and emotion.

• Song structures that are more complex and intricate. This means - shock! - not every song has to follow the traditional Verse-Verse-Chorus-Verse -Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus-Chorus structure. Even bigger shock, songs don't even have to have a chorus! Or the song might start off in one direction, and end up turning into a completely different song. (Lately Backdrifter and I have talked about how Built to Spill are masters at this craft. SonicRyan's mentioned old Interpol, and I have to concur.)

• Music that is critically recognized as innovative, risk-taking, rewarding. (Perhaps this one shouldn't be on here? What do you think? Certainly there are critically rebuffed albums that I still enjoy, yet there is satisfaction in knowing, "This is considered 'GOOD' music, and I 'GET' it." I don't mean to sound like a snob here, I'm just truth telling.)

I guess my purpose in writing today's column is to acknowledge that 1. I am a music snob, 2. Within the past seven or eight years I was still listening to some shameful music, so I ought not have a right to be a snob, 3. Yet because I've gone on this musical journey I feel that I do have a right to say that the music I listen to now is "better," and 4. Does any of this really matter, since people are going to listen to whatever they want to anyhow? Should I just say let them have their Fall Out Boy, and eat it, too?

Read last week's Unappreciated Scholar.